


Stones

by Joan963z



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, M/M, Romance, space age
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-11-27 10:11:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18193211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joan963z/pseuds/Joan963z
Summary: This is a Sentinel, Buffy crossover, AU, set in the space age. It was inspired by the song Stones by Neil Diamond. Blair, Spike,and Winifred did not have a happy childhood.Stones would play inside their heads. Where they slept stones made their bed. They would ache for love and get but stones. Is being lost worth the coming home for the three wildflowers that grow on stones?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Sentinel is owned etc. by Pet Fly, Inc. These pages and the stories on them are not meant to infringe on, nor are they endorsed by, Pet Fly, Inc. and Paramount.  
> I do not own any of the publicly recognized TV and/or movie characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The story is not endorsed by the character owners. I make no money from this story. I am only trying to keep the fandoms alive in our hearts.  
> @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
> Stones  
> Neil Diamond  
> Stones would play inside her head,  
> And where she slept, they made her bed.  
> And she would ache for love and get  
> But stones.  
> La la la la la la la la la la home.  
> Lordy child a good days comin',  
> And I'll be there to let the sun in,  
> And bein' lost is worth the comin' home.  
> La la la la la la la la la on stones.  
> You and me a time for planting,  
> You and me a harvest granting,  
> The every prayer ever prayed,  
> We're just two wild flowers that grow.  
> La la la la la la la la la on stones.

Chapter 1  
Wild Flowers  
@@@@@@

******  
Blair’s Story: Family  
******

The Sandburg family was not a family of empaths, they were a successful business family. Naomi, a highly intelligent, personable, and beautiful mundane woman, was the perfect trophy daughter and became her father’s favorite. She was a free spirit, a dancer that danced her way through life. Naomi met an empathic man and spent a week with him. When she left and found she was pregnant she considered it just another dance.

When Blair was a baby he was left with his grandparents, aunts, and uncles. His mother would dance into his life and dance out. Sometimes she would take him with her for a while before dropping him off with another relative. Blair was an empath, he knew that when he was left with relatives they accepted him only to stay in the good graces of the patriarch of the family, not out of any love for him.

Blair was lucky in one way, he inherited his mother’s intelligence and his father’s empathic abilities. So when his mother did dance into his life and decided to introduce her son to her lifestyle Blair adapted. He was able to look at people and cultures from different points of view. He became interested in sociology and anthropology. When his mother danced out of his life he applied to college, received nearly perfect marks on his entrance exams and was accepted into Rainier University.

******  
Stones  
******

Grandfather Sandburg was not willing to pay for a private education in sociology and anthropology. He made it clear to Blair that he was expected to attend Business College and then go into the family business like all the other Sandburg’s.

Blair wasn’t interested in going into business. He wanted a different life so he went to the Dean and applied for a public higher education scholarship. He had no problem being accepted into the program. Blair excelled at academics, but had some difficulty fitting into the college social scene. He was two years younger than other freshman students, but he did his best to make friends.

Blair’s family completely abandoned him. He had no place to go on the holidays and breaks so he lived at the school until graduation. It hurt that his mother didn’t come to defend him. Her only advice on the matter was, “detach with love.” Blair never heard from her again. Many nights were spent crying himself to sleep. The essence of his being, that had been a life affirming dance, turned into a cold stone slap for a bed.

Graduation finally came, that’s when a major snafu came to light. Blair had never been tested for the empath gene as was required by law. He had graduated from high school too early to be tested and testing wasn’t done in college so Blair just fell through the crack. After hearings on the matter it was decided that it was an innocent oversight and he would be tested before graduation.

The test was simple, a cheek swab, and bang! Blair was declared a potential guide. It was decided he would be able to graduate and claim his degrees in Sociology and Anthropology and go on to a career in the Diplomatic Corps.

 

*******  
Spike’s Story: Family  
*******  
Spike’s mother wanted a better life and she had a plan, marry into a sentinel family. She thought it would be easy. She was beautiful, she was smart... she was naive.

The young man she picked out was from a good sentinel family, one that was determined to climb the social ladder and elevate their name. He was destined to trigger as a Sentinel. She insinuated herself into the young man’s life. It wasn’t difficult. She was in the popular crowd, joined all the right social clubs, a beautiful trophy girlfriend in every way.

He was a jock from a privileged family, the kind of guy that always got what he wanted and got away with bad behavior. Everything came easy for him, his family protected him. He had no problem lying to his girlfriend, telling her that he loved her. He knew all the things she wanted to hear. He was seventeen, testosterone coursing through his veins, demanding he pass on his genes.

She wanted a lock on a good marriage. When she got pregnant she didn’t tell, not until the twentieth week, too late for either family to demand an abortion. His family demanded a paternity test. She knew it would come back positive. He was the only one she had ever been with. But the family was not willing to let their son start life with the stain of marrying down. Bribes were paid and the test results came back negative. The Sentinel family was brutal in their attack.

Their daughter’s name had been dragged through the dirt. Their choices were limited. Stay where they were and have their daughter suffer a life with a bad name and an illegitimate child, a place where the Sentinel family’s influence would hold them in disgrace, or move to a new territory where they could start over. The family moved to the Northwest Territory.

******  
Stones  
******

The Pratts did the best they could to make a new life for themselves. It was a fairly comfortable middle class life with few luxuries. Still they had a roof over their head and food on the table and reliable work to do. But bringing up a child without a father, even in the space age, had its problems. His teenage mother didn’t know how to cope and William’s grandparents felt that their daughter should pay some consequences for her actions. They refused to take over parenting responsibilities. His mother began to resent her son’s intrusion in her life. His grandparents did only what duty required of them, always acting out of duty, never out of love. The fact that he was not wanted and somehow his birth ruined his family's life was not hidden from the child, just the opposite, it was a stone cold monolith that was the center of his existence.

“Little Willy” was teased mercilessly at school, but if the boy had a defining characteristic it was tenacity. He was not about to let others define him. He fought back and raged against those who thought themselves better than him. When he was called thin as a rail he shouted back “No! I’m not a rail. I’m a spike.” At first the playground bullies laughed, but William never stayed down. He became street smart and learned to hold his own with boys bigger than him.

For a long time it was a joke, a taunting of Spike, Spike, Spike, but by the time he graduated from high school he was no longer Little Willy, he was Spike and it was said with respect, a grudging respect, but respect was respect and Spike had learned to take what he could get.

******  
Winifred's Story: Family  
******

Winifred Burkle was born on the wide open prairie of Texas. Her mother was an unclaimed guide and her father a mundane. They owned a successful family farm and had a comfortable life.

Although she had loving parents, she was an only child on a working farm. Born an empath without a social outlet was a painfully lonely childhood. She attended school by video link, but she had dreams of more. She thought she was on the way the day she left for college.

She got settled in her college dorm and decided to go out for a walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful sunny day in New Los Angeles. For a Texas girl that grew up on a farm it was like walking through a fairy tale. She found a small old style coffee shop with sidewalk tables and stopped for lunch. She took the top off her coffee to add cream and sugar and had to shoo away a bee. She didn’t see that it wasn’t a bee, it was a tiny drone that dropped a pill into her coffee.

She finished her lunch and began to feel a little queasy so she headed back to the dorm. She didn’t make it. She was abducted from the street in broad daylight.

******  
Stones  
******

Fred was naive to the ways of the city, but she was no idiot. She knew the abductors would sell her off world on the black market. She tried to escape, but the abductors had put a tracking chip in her. She was caught and beaten for her troubles.

Her training was brutal. Do as you’re told, develop your empathic sense or be punished. She learned and decided to try to use her empathy to send a message. Her mother was the only empath she knew. Fred wasn’t skilled, she could only send what she thought was a general distress call, but her mother misinterpreted the message as being from a scared girl away from home for the first time. She tried to send a message to anyone listening, but she never got an answer so she accepted the stone cold fact that she was destined to be sold into slavery. She railed against her new reality and beat on the hard bedrock that made her life.

She was cold, deep in her soul cold, and alone, but she didn’t give up. She kept sending the distress call, hoping against hope that someone would hear.


	2. Ruling Class

Chapter 2  
Ruling Class

******  
Ruler William Ellison  
******

William Ellison came from a long line of Sentinels. He took his responsibility to protect his tribe seriously. He was a big man and he knew how to use his size to intimidate others and get things done and he was a fair man that brooked no fools or slack offs. You pulled your weight if you were a member of the Ellison House or you felt the Ruler’s wrath.

Ellison ruled over one of the richest territories in North America. There were Gold and Silver mines, vast tracts of old forest and rich farmlands, a deep water port and a busy Space Port. Cascade was the commercial hub of the Northwest coast of North America.

In large part, thanks to the Ellison family over the years, the Northwest Territory was a good place to live. There was work available for anyone who wanted it. William believed that a robust economy and and a healthy and happy citizenry needed a thriving middle class, and thrive it did. It offered Higher Education to anyone who wanted it, and universal health care.

William was always on the lookout for new strong Sentinel and Guide bloodlines. Some Sentinel families wanted to keep their bloodlines pure and rarely adopted ronin sentinels into the family. When Ruler Ellison saw Spike at the Sentinel Games he watched him closely; he suspected that Spike was not a runt sentinel like the rumors were saying, but an Omega Class Sentinel. When Spike won the gold medal in hand-to-hand combat Ruler Ellison leaned over and whispered to Jim. “Get down to the medal awards and make William Pratt an offer to join the house and be enrolled in elite Sentinel training. I don’t want to lose him.”

“I take it you believe he’s more than a lightweight?” Jim asked.

“There’s something about the way he fights and the way he moves, I think he’s Omega.”

Jim nodded and went to make the offer. Spike jumped at the chance. It was everything he had dreamed of and worked for and more than he had let himself hope for.

Spike didn’t know that the Ellison’s thought he may be just what they wanted and needed to add to the Ellison House bloodline, an Omega Class Sentinel.

Omegas had a very sought after talent. They made excellent navigators through subspace. Computers could do the math, of course, but subspace was full of eddies and currents that a computer could not feel. Omega Sentinels has a sixth sense that allowed them to feel the currents and adjust for them. That meant that jumps could be longer without ending up where you did not intend to be. If Spike did turnout to be an Omega, and elite training would tell for sure, House Ellison was very lucky to have found him.

******  
Captain Jim Ellison  
******

Jim Ellison had been born to lead. He had been groomed since childhood to step up when his father retired and take his place in the distinguished line of Ellison Rulers, but until that time he would serve the territory in other ways.

His choice of service was the Space Corps. He currently was assigned to the Planetary Guard. His duties were to protect the planet and its commerce from pirates and traffickers, not an infrequent problem. But to go further in the Corps he needed a Guide. He wasn’t in a hurry to find one. He was willing to wait for the right Bond Mate.

Right now he had a mundane wife, Carolyn, who he married before his Sentinel abilities triggered. She had given birth to three children. One older son of three years and a set of twins, one girl and one boy, six months of age. It was not unusual for Sentinels to marry mundane woman in arranged political marriages, usually sentinel daughters from other distinguished houses. Many times pregnancies within the marriages were contracted as artificial insemination. The marriages brought reliable treaties between ruling houses and kept bloodlines strong. A prenuptial agreement made divorce non-problematic. All of this was kept private from the common citizens. What happened in the Houses stayed in the Houses. The system worked well.

But at some point Sentinels needed to bond with a Guide. Jim had been using healer Guides to keep him stable. Now that Carolyn had expressed an interest in exercising her prenup and was seeking a divorce it was time for Jim to be on the lookout for a Guide. If he was ever to go further in the Space Corps, by being assigned a larger ship, and to be able to go on longer missions he would need a Guide.

Unbonded Guides sometimes went into the Diplomatic Corps. William felt that if Jim could bond with a Diplomatic Guide it would go far in furthering his Space Corps career. An Ambassador Class Guide bonded to a Ruling Class Sentinel could be empowered to negotiate treaties with other worlds. Jim was willing to take his time and find a Guide that would fit his needs.


	3. Every Prayer Ever Prayed For The Wild Flowers

******  
Spike’s Story: The Academy  
******

 

The Sentinel Academy was a surprising experience for Spike. It wasn’t the whispers of “What’s a runt doing here?” or “He’ll wash out in the first week,” that surprised him, he expected it.

Spike arrived a day early and was assigned a private room in the Ellison family dorm. He went back to the Registrar's Office to tell them he thought it was a mistake. He couldn’t understand why a ronin Sentinel was assigned a room with a private bath that was obviously meant for an Ellison family member.

The overworked clerk just glared at him. “That’s the room you were assigned, Sentinel. Deal with it.”

Spike went back to his room and hoped the room assignment would not come back to bite him in the ass.

******  
Orientation Day  
******

The first day at the Academy was orientation day. After breakfast Spike headed for the auditorium and took a seat in the middle of the fifth row.

“Good morning Sentinels, I am Dean Blackwater, welcome to the Elite Program. Please listen carefully to what I have to say this morning. What you get out of your education here depends on it. From experience I know that many of you think you know better than our trainers and professors. I also know that 50% of you will wash out of the program.”

Spike sat quietly in his seat hands folded in his lap. He tilted his head slightly and evaluated the speaker, intrigued that the Dean would start out with a comment that would get an immediate backlash. The Dean waited for the whispered comments to stop and then he continued.

“You are going through many changes in your life as your sentinel abilities come into full fruition. The changes you are experiencing are both mental and physical. We are here to help you through those changes and to help you become the best Sentinel you can be. In the days to come you will be going through the standard sentinel boot camp training.

All sentinels are required to go through this training. During this training you will be evaluated both physically and mentally and your elite training will have individualized factors incorporated into it. For example some of you may be offered training for the Space Corps, others may be offered Ranger Training, Navy Seal Training or, Police Academy Training. Whatever you are offered please remember that it is what we believe is your best fit as a Sentinel along with where the need is greatest. I suggest that whatever offer is made you avail yourself of the opportunity.”

The Dean once more waited for the murmurs that spread through the auditorium to quiet down.

“I know from experience many of you will ignore what I just said and insist on entering the program of your choice. It is your right to do so. But please remember that our mission is to graduate the best trained Sentinels possible. Last I want to mention The Sentinel - Guide Hospital that is located in the Northeast corner of our campus. Healer Guides are available to any cadets who need them. They are not crunches! They are our partners. Using them is not a weakness. Part of your training is to realize when you need them and making appropriate use of them. Do not sell them short. If you haven’t already done so please pickup your schedule from the registrar's tables in the lobby. You are expected to be on time for all classes. Chronic tardiness is reason to remove you from this program. Dismissed.”

‘Short and sweet’, Spike thought as picked up his schedule. He decided to take a walking tour of the campus. Tomorrow boot camp would start and he wanted to get acclimated.

******  
Blair’s Story: Diplomatic Corps  
******

Blair was thriving in the Diplomatic Corps. He was assigned as a staff member to Ambassador Rupert Giles on board the Galaxy Class Ship, Venture. Blair had gotten himself noticed quickly, his highly empathic nature coupled with his ability to look at alien cultures and understand them was invaluable to the Ambassador. Rupert Giles was no fool, he availed himself of every advantage available to him, Blair became the Ambassador’s protege.

Blair had been working for the Diplomatic Corps for nearly two years, but while the Ellison’s were marginally aware of him he was not being considered as a bond mate to Jim. He was dismissed as too inexperienced to be the full Ambassador that Ruler Ellison felt his son needed. The cosmos had other ideas and was about to give James Ellison a wake up call.

******  
Coming home  
******

Blair had just arrived back to Cascade Spaceport after a very successful treaty signing. Ambassador Giles always wanted Blair to be by his side when ever there was a news conference about their treaty work. The Ambassador reasoned that it would be Blair that took his place when he retired and he wanted his protege’s face to be known and accepted.

After the conference Blair returned to his quarters on the ship. Most of the crew was on shore leave so the ship was not the busy place it usually was. It was a little disconcerting for the young empath as he walked to his quarters through the long empty and echoing corridors. Blair decided that the squeamish feeling he was having would go away if he went to the lounge where he had a view of the busy port. He downloaded a twentieth century novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird”, and headed for the crew’s lounge where he hoped he wouldn’t feel quite so lonely.

He was a chapter and a half into the book when he began to feel fearful. He looked up and couldn’t see anything unusual out the view port or in the lounge so he pushed the feeling away and went back to reading. The feeling came back stronger. Blair was annoyed with himself for not being able to deal with a false feeling of fear so he tapped his communicator and asked if the ship were having a problem. The Ensign on duty was surprised to hear from Blair and told him that other than undergoing normal maintenance the ship was fine.

Thinking that he had confirmation that all was well Blair once again pushed the feeling away and tried to get back to reading his book. The fear was nothing is not persistent. It wasn’t like him to have a problem like this so he decided to change tactics. He closed his eyes and dove into the emotion.

HELP! Blair jumped back mentally. He hadn’t expected that. He closed his eyes and gently began to feel around the edges of the emotion. He tried to find a direction or an empath the message was coming from, but it seemed to be a general distress call. He kept circling the call with his mind, trying to get more information. He found the message had a cone shape. He knew that the point of the cone was the place the message was coming from but he had no star maps to overlay the call onto.

What to do? He couldn’t just ignore the call for help. He decided to go to The Planetary Guard. He didn’t want to just notify them of the distress call. He had a strong feeling that it would get cursory consideration, but without more information there would be little followup so he tucked his reader under his arm and marched determinedly off the ship.

Blair walked around the docking ring until he came to a Planetary Guard Patrol Ship. “This is Junior Ambassador Blair Sandburg requesting permission to come aboard.”

“Ambassador Sandburg, please state your business,” a voice from the ship asked.

“I need to talk to the Captain of the ship immediately. I have vital information for him.”

The ensign on duty called Captain Ellison who told him to let the Ambassador on board. It was very unusual, in fact unheard of, for information to come directly from the Diplomatic Corps and from a Junior Ambassador no less, usually communications came through proper channels.

If the Junior Ambassador needed a lesson in using proper channels Captain Ellison was more than willing to give him one.

Blair was shown to the Captain’s ready room where Jim Ellison waited. When the door opened Jim was assaulted with Guide scent. “Guide,” he said, his intended scalding reprimand forgotten.

Blair gave a small scowl and plunged forward with what he needed to say. “I’ve received an empathic distress call. I believe the Guide is being held by traffickers. I need to overlay the call on a star map in order to locate the source.”

“Overlay?” Jim asked, he had never heard of doing what the Guide was proposing.

“Yes, I’ve analyzed the shape of the call. If you could give me access to a star map I believe I can find where the Guide sending the distress call is located.”

Jim sat behind his desk staring at the strange Guide. He was trying hard to understand what the Guide was talking about, but the unexpected guide scent had overwhelmed him. He tried to process the Guides words. How could an empathic distress call, rare in itself, have a shape?

Jim Ellison was about to fall into a zone and Blair was not about to let that happen. “Sentinel! There is a Guide in danger, snap out of it and listen to me. I need access to a star map!”

Jim shook himself out of the near zone and requested a star map of the surrounding three light years. A holographic map appeared above Jim’s desk. Blair walked forward and scanned the map then he closed his eyes and dove into the distress call. This time he was prepared for the onslaught of emotion. He allowed it to vibrate through him than he lifted his hand and inserted it into the energy buzz that was the holographic map. He had never done anything like this before, he was feeling his way around. He let the call move with him as his hand moved through the map.

Jim watched mesmerized as the Guide worked. He did not know such a thing was possible. He could feel just how strong the Guides empathic abilities were, they vibrated over his entire body. He had never felt such a strong pull. He wanted to undo the Guides braid and run his fingers through the soft curly hair. He wanted to hold the Guide against him and feel and hear the beat of his heart.

Blair continued moving his hand through the star map and then it happened, like a piece of a puzzle the call fell into place. Blair opened his eyes. “There,” he said with his finger pointing to a small moon.

“Wait here Guide,” Jim ordered and than he went to the bridge.

******

Jim rescued eleven Guides and arrested four traffickers. All the Guides were taken to the Rainier Guide Hospital for treatment. After returning to Cascade, Blair exited the ship and returned to his quarters on board the Venture. The whole incident was over as far as he was concerned. In the morning he got up and decided to have breakfast in the mess hall.

He sat eating his breakfast when he noticed a monolith blocking his light. He looked up to see the Captain from the rescue ship looking down at him.

“Captain,” Blair said with a smile. “I promise to have my report sent out before close of business today.”

“That’s not why I’m here Guide. I wish to court you with the intent of becoming bond mates.”

To say Blair was surprised at the directness of the statement is an understatement. Blair knew the situation had to be handled carefully. He put everything he had learned since joining the Diplomatic Corps into practice. He modulated his voice to be soothing to a Sentinel and looked into the Sentinel’s eyes. ”I’m very flattered, Captain, but you should know I have no pedigree. I have no idea who my father is and I’ve been disowned by my mother’s family. I have made a life for myself in the Diplomatic Corps and I am happy there. I have no desire to give that up to become a bond mate.”

“Do you know who I am?” Jim asked.

Blair decided it was time to be very firm in his answer. He wanted no misunderstanding of his feelings. “I don’t see how that matters. You could be Ruler Ellison himself and I would say the same thing.”

“I’m Captain James Ellison, first heir to Ruler William Ellison.” Jim waited for what he said to sink in.

Blair decided it was time for Guide voice. “As I said, Sentinel, I have worked hard to become a Junior Ambassador and I have no intent to give that up. My career lays with the Diplomatic Corps.”

“I have no intent to have you leave the Diplomatic Corps. In fact it would be in both our interest for you to continue in your career. As for your pedigree, or lack of one, it means less than nothing to me. Your gift sings to me. It vibrates over my skin. It calls to me. I had hoped to find a compatible Diplomatic Guide. You are beyond what I was capable of dreaming of. I am for you Guide.”

Blair stared at the big Sentinel that towered over him. He had not expected the ceremonial language of ‘I am for you, Guide.’ It showed how serious the Sentinel was. It told Blair that he was not going to be able to simply tell the Sentinel, sorry not interested, and have this whole fiasco go away. Blair had no doubt that it was a fiasco.

“I know this isn’t personal you don’t want me, you need what I am. I’m flattered, but I’m not willing to join to you or anyone for the sake of a politically expedient bond.”

“Did you not hear me Guide? Your gift sings to me. I don’t want you out of political expediency, your essence, all that you are calls to me, it vibrates through every cell of my being. There will never be another that calls to me as you do.”

Blair decided he would put the Sentinel to the test. “Will you sign a pre-bond agreement that you will never require me to leave the Diplomatic Corps?”

“I have never heard of a pre-bond agreement and the word ‘never’ would give any Sentinel pause. Once we bond it will be my inalienable duty to keep you safe. Do you think I am lying to you Guide when I say our bond will not require you to leave the Corps?”

“It’s been my experience in life that when things seem too good to be true they are not true.”

“Then give me a chance, Guide, let me court you and show you the truth of what we could be.”

Blair was silent for a moment, he looked down at the table as he analyzed the situation. The Sentinel was a Captain and first heir to the Ruler. He was not the kind of man who could be simply brushed aside and there was the added factor that Blair, himself, could feel the pull to this Sentinel. He didn’t have any experience with the pull or the singing as the Captain called it, so he couldn’t give it an accurate measure. He made his decision, before he spoke he looked up into the Sentinel’s eyes. “All right, I’ll give you a chance, but I’m not making you any promises.”

Jim sat down across the table from Blair and for the first time in a very long time he smiled. “It’s a deal, Chief.”

******  
Two Days Later  
******

“Why do you keep calling me Chief?” Blair asked.

“It is a term of endearment,” Jim answered.

“Yes, but why Chief? A term of endearment isn’t a common use of the word.”

“You are not like the ordinary Guide. What I will require from you is more than what I get from the Healer Guides that keep me stable. You will be my confidant and a trusted advisor. I need you to know that, to know that it is what I want and need. I need you to know and trust that you will be highly valued as my chief advisor.”

“Trust, that comes hard for me. I could never trust as I grew up. It’s what is making it hard for me to say yes to our bond.”

“You always had a place to live, but never a home. I know intellectually that it must have been a difficult childhood for an empath. I have told you that you sing to me, It vibrates over me like nothing I have felt before. Sentinels learn that when a Guide sings to them they can feel the song of the Sentinel vibrate over them. Do you feel me?”

“Yes, but feeling and trusting are two different things.”

“This may seem like a very un-sentinel thing to say. It is a wisdom I have heard from my father’s Guide. Perhaps it is time for you to take a leap of faith.”

“I’m not sure that would be fair to you. How can we have a deep bond when I can’t trust?”

“When you learn you can trust me our bond will grow deeper, I can accept that.”

“There’s also the problem with you being a Captain in the Planetary Guard and I’m stationed on the Venture. I need at least two more years before I’ll become a full ambassador. You have no experience on a Galaxy Class ship. You can’t just kick Captain Banks out of the Captain’s chair and take over being Captain of the Venture. So what can we do? The only thing I can see is for me to leave the Diplomatic Corps.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about your worry, Chief? The solution is already in motion. Captain Banks will be promoted to Vice Admiral and keep his command of the Venture. First officer Lee will be promoted to Captain and given a command of his own. I will keep my rank as Captain assigned to the Venture as First Officer. When we are both ready I will get my own command on a Galaxy Class ship.”

“You put all that in motion without me agreeing to be your Bond Mate?”

“My personal leap of faith, Chief.”

“You took a leap of faith for me?”

Jim lifted his hand and laid it on Blair’s cheek. “I would do far more than that for you.”

Blair removed Jim’s hand from his face and intertwined his fingers with Jim’s. “I will become your Bond Mate.”

Jim pulled Blair into their first kiss.

******  
Spike’s Story - The Academy  
******

Basic training was the hell it was meant to be. It turned out Spike was not wrong about being assigned a private room at the Ellison dormitory. But he was not the only one. The first morning the Drill Sergeant announced that all cadets needed to bunk in Basic Training Hut 9. He gave everyone half an hour to retrieve their gear and report to BTH 9 for inspection.

Spike took off running. He was glad he took the time to learn his way around on orientation day. He knew the fastest way to get back to the Ellison dorm. He had not completely unpacked so he was ahead of the game compared to other cadets. He was the first cadet to make it to BTH 9 and found the Drill Sergeant waiting at the door with a stopwatch. He entered the hut, choose a bunk in the middle of the room, and began stashing his gear in the foot locker. He wasn’t finished when the half hour ran out, no one was. All Cadets were ordered to drop and give the Sergeant fifty push ups.

Sentinel Basic Training lasted for eight weeks.The Academy day began at 4:30 am. Cadets had half an hour to shave and dress and report to their company area where they would perform morning calisthenics and running. 6:00 A.M. was breakfast. From 6:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. was scheduled training exercises with a half hour for lunch at noon. At five P.M. Cadets gathered for the Drill Sergeant’s review of the day and Mail call. 8:00 P.M. was designated time for Cadets to take care of personal need or activities, such as sanitary needs (showering and laundry), writing letters home or, if time allowed, simply relaxing, 9:00 P.M. was lights out.

At the end of eight weeks Cadets were tested and given a physical. Those that passed went onto Elite Individual Training. Spike was ordered to report to Ruler Ellison’s office. There was no explanation as to why so he just took a deep breath and followed orders.

******  
Ruler Ellison’s Office  
******

Spike reported on time and was immediately shown into Ruler Ellison’s office.

The office was restrained elegance. There was a large polished teak desk at one end of the office. Off to the side was a small, but comfortable looking sitting area with large overstuffed leather chairs. There were smaller chairs placed across from the desk for anyone doing business with the Ruler.

“Have a seat Sentinel Pratt,” the Ruler began. “I’ve asked to talk to you because I wanted to let you know exactly what House Ellison’s plan is for your Elite Training.”

Spike nodded and took a seat.

“I’ll get right to the point, Sentinel. You’ve been designated an Omega Class Sentinel. Do you know anything about Omega Sentinels?”

“I’ve heard of Omega’s in passing, but I have no other knowledge of them.”

“I’m not surprised, Omega’s are rare but very sought after. They make excellent navigators through subspace so they spend much of their time off world on Galaxy Class Star ships. You have the sixth sense needed to become a navigator, Sentinel Pratt. It was confirmed during your basic training. You will be trained by the Space Corps. Training takes approximately two years with the intent to have you assigned to a Galaxy Class Ship upon completion.”

“Space Corps is not a House Ellison Unit,” Spike said. “It’s a military organization of the United Territories of Earth. Does this mean that House Ellison is withdrawing my connection to the House?”

William leaned back in his seat and looked into Spike’s eye’s. “It’s precisely that question that made me want to talk to you personally. I want to make myself perfectly clear, Sentinel. House Ellison will not withdraw your affiliation to our House without serious legal wrongdoing on your part. I have no reason to believe that will ever happen. It is our intent to find you a compatible, fertile female Guide. After you finish your training and claim your Bond Mate it is our hope that you will accept a Brother Bond with my heir. If you accept your children will have the Ellison name.”

Spike sat for a moment. He felt no deceit coming from the Ruler. “I don’t know what to say, this certainly isn’t what I expected when I came here today.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Do you have any questions?”

“None that I can think of at the moment.”

“If you need to you can get in touch with me here is my personal number, I trust very few people with that, I am showing great trust in you that you will not abuse it. Jim will be off world much of the next two years. I regret you will not be able to get to know him. He unexpectedly found his Bond Mate so our plan of having you do your final year of navigator training on his ship was thrown askew. Life often sends us curve balls, we all have to adjust.” William stood up and offered his hand to Spike.

Spike stood and took the Ruler’s hand. “Thank you Ruler Ellison. I promise I won't let you down.”

******  
Winifred’s Story - The Guide Hospital  
******

Fred didn’t know that it was her empathic distress signal that triggered the abducted Guides rescue. I wouldn’t have mattered if she did. She was broken.

The rescuing Sentinel's had to carry her to their ship. She was unresponsive, just staring off into space. At the Guide Hospital she didn’t respond to the Healer Guides. When she was put to bed she curled up into as tight a ball as she could and retreated into herself.

The hospital knew how to deal with post traumatic stress disorder that was this severe. Although the cause was usually the Guide loosing their Sentinel in the line of duty, the treatment was the same. It combined chromatherapy; alternating turquoise and green light, aromatherapy; lavender scent in the air, singing bowl therapy; a 12th century Tibetan sound treatment, and touch healing. Little by little Fred began to come back to the world.

Six months after being rescued Fred’s parents came to visit. They wanted to take her home. Fred didn’t want to go back to a lonely life on the Texas prairie. She had applied for and gotten a temporary exemption from Guide School so that she could go to college. Now things had changed. The thought of going to college terrified her. She had become friends with many Healer Guides, Guides who were residents of the Guide Hospital. Fred decided that she wanted to become a Healer and that’s what she set out to do.

******  
Spike’s Story - Navigator Training  
******

Spike was surprised to learn that he was the only navigator in training. Captain Halyn explained to him that only Omega Sentinel’s were eligible to train as navigators and since Omega’s are scarce that there is rarely a class of more than one.

The first day of navigator training consisted of moving the needle on a biofeedback machine and holding it in the target zone as long as possible. Spike sat at the machine, clipped the interface to his finger and immediately moved the needle to the place his trainer had indicated. He heard the sharp intake of breath from the Captain and picked up the scent of surprise.

Spike held the needle in the target zone with not so much as a waiver for fifteen minutes. “Is the point of this exercise tolerance of boredom?” he asked.

Captain Halyn reached over and took the interface off of Spike’s finger. “Have you used this machine before?” he asked.

“I didn’t know a machine like this existed.”

The Captain watched Spike carefully as he spoke. “Tell me what you were feeling as you kept the needle in place.”

“I felt bored.”

“Let’s see if we can make it less boring, this time the machine will fight you.” Captain Halyn’s fingers flew over his pad as he reprogrammed the biofeedback machine. He looked at Spike,”Try now.”

Spike slipped the interface onto his finger. This time he could feel the needle fighting him. It reminded him of hand to hand combat, it reminded him of the dance. He slipped into the place in his mind and danced with the needle.

Five minutes passed and the needle never left the target zone. Ten minutes, fifteen, twenty, time passed with barely a tremor of the needle. Captain Halyn watched Spike, he was smiling. Odd that, he was the trainer for all the navigators and this is the first time he had seen a smile on anyone’s face during training. The program reached its half hour termination point and shut down.

“Well that was fast,” Spike said, sounding disappointed.

“How long do you think you were in the zone?” the Captain asked.

“Three, maybe four minutes.”

“It was a full half hour. I know today wasn’t the first time you were in the zone. When did you discover it?”

Spike knew there was no point in lying so he shrugged and told him everything. “I call it the dance. I don’t remember how old I was, but I do know it was grade school. I was bullied a lot for being thin and not having a father. I had to fight kids a lot bigger than me. At first I got beat a lot so I started concentrating very hard. That’s when it happened, I just knew what the bully was going to do and I moved out of the way. They were almost never able to hit me anymore, but I could hit them. It became a dance to me. It’s how I won the gold metal in hand to hand combat in the Sentinel Games.”

“I’ve never met an Omega that discovered the zone, or the dance as you call it, so young. Most discover it when their Sentinel abilities trigger or during Sentinel training.”

“How was it discovered that an Omega’s sixth sense could be used to navigate through subspace?”

Captain Halyn liked Spike. Ordinarily he wouldn’t go into his personal life but he knew that growing up as a fatherless ronin meant he didn’t have access to the same education as a Sentinel’s son growing up as a member of a House. “That would be me. In some ways my life had been like yours. I was small for a Sentinel and teased for it, but my mother was very supportive. She told me it wasn’t the size of the Sentinel that was important. It was a Sentinel’s actions and accomplishments that would be remembered. I took what she said to heart.

The Captain paused for a moment before continuing. "My dream was to join the Space Corps, I worked hard and was accepted. Eventually I became Captain of a Planetary Guard long range cruiser. I loved that ship and knew every sound, vibration it made, I could feel her. She became a part of me in ways I can’t put into words. At that time the only way to traverse subspace was to have a computer do the math. A computer can do the math for long jumps but we found that subspace was full of currents and eddies. We couldn’t jump more than three light years or subspace currents would push us too far from where we wanted to be. I found I could feel when we began to slip off course and how bad the slip was when the ship was in subspace. We were out on patrol when we got a distress call that there was a mining accident on Kevloren, a moon twelve light years away. We needed to get there as soon as possible to save lives so I took a chance. I sat in our navigator’s chair and used the normal space controls to navigate six light years through subspace. We were exactly where we wanted to be so I made the second jump. We saved one hundred miners lives that day and we also changed Space Corps forever. We started looking for Omega Sentinels and found that virtually everyone of them had the potential of becoming navigators. We also looked at Alpha’s and Beta’s, none of them had the sixth sense we were looking for. When I retired I became a trainer.“

“I didn’t know it was you that was the first subspace Navigator. I didn’t even know I was an Omega until I was adopted into house Ellison. As for the dance, it was so natural for me I didn’t know it was unusual. So what do we do now?” Spike asked. “This biofeedback is child's play for me.”

“According to regulations I have to show that you’re ready for a space jump. We’ll be going through that at an accelerated rate. I’ll get you in a navigator's chair as soon as I can.


	4. Chapter 4

@@@@@@

Chapter 4 - Lordy Child A Good Days Comin'  
******  
A Year And A Half Later  
******  
Spike’s Story - Test Day  
******

Spike had had to wait for two extra days for the Venture to get into port before he could take his final test to become a navigator. Testing was always done on Galaxy Class ships. Spike had been informed by official letter that the testing would be done on the Venture and that Captain Ellison, First Officer of the ship, and his Guide, Ambassador Sandburg, would be observers. Admiral Bellingham, Vice Admiral Logan, and Vice Admiral Mason would officiate over the test. Captain Halyn would be in attendance.

The test started at 8 A.M. and Spike had done several relatively small jumps when the Admiral got an emergency call. He took the call in the Captain’s ready room and came out a few minutes later. “There’s been a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Cascade and a tsunami warning. All ships have been called back to port to beam as many people as possible out of danger. The tsunami will his Cascade in 20 minutes. Captain Halyn, we are twenty light years out you can make it back in two jumps.”

Blair stepped forward. “Spike can make it back in one jump if he uses me for his anchor.”

“You have not bond with Sentinel Spikelyn.” Admiral Bellingham said, surprised that Captain Ellison didn’t object immediately.

“I’m a Healer Guide. Admiral, I don’t need a permanent bond. I can do this, we can do this.”

“I agree with my Guide,” Captain Ellison said meeting the Admiral’s questioning look. “The Ambassador is a strong Healer.”

“Captain Halyn what’s your opinion?”

“Spike’s the best navigator I’ve ever had the honor of training. I believe he is the better choice to get us back to port quickly.”

The Admiral didn’t want to waste anymore time arguing. He simply looked at Spike and said, “Go.”

“Guide, sit next to me and put your hand on my arm. If you feel this just close your eyes and ride with it.” Spike turned to the navigation console. “Chart Port Cascade.”

“Jump is 21.2 light years. Officer override required,” the computer informed them.

“This is Admiral Bellingham, authorization code 9795, override sanctioned.”

“Jump,” Spike said. This was his first time undertaking a jump this far. The ship seemed to be picking up speed when it got caught in an eddy and began to turn. Spike mind reached out to Blair and he was able to steer the ship out of the swirl without becoming disoriented.

For a few moments Blair felt as if he were doing nothing and then he felt Spike’s mind grab for him. He suddenly felt the ship turning in a circle. He instantly opened himself completely to Spike, closed his eyes and reached behind him for Jim. The spinning stopped and the ship continued on its way. Blair could feel every push down and climb back up, every curve out and back in, every sudden lift up and roller coaster ride down. And then he felt Spike, his joy, his absolute knowledge that this was his destiny. Spike felt no fear only elation.

Jim stood tall and strong as Spike’s consciousness came through his link with Blair. He felt the ship turn and knew they were caught in an eddy. There was only one way out of an eddy that he knew of. Come out of subspace and move the ship sup-light speed, then re-chart the jump. But suddenly the spin stopped and the ship was on course again. “We’re going to make it.” he said to everyone on the bridge. Ninety seconds later the ship stopped and asked for permission to dock.

Admiral Bellingham got busy immediately, He ordered all hands back on duty and the largest holodeck turned into a sickbay. All transporters were put into action, including the ones in cargo bays. Empty cargo bays were set up for triage.

******  
Fred’s Story - Healer  
******

Fred had made a place for herself as a Healer Guide. She was often requested by families with children. She had a calming influence on both the parents and the injured or sick child.

She did not, however, ever work with un-bonded Sentinels to bring them back into balance. She was considered off limits due to her experience with the traffickers. In spite of her recovery she still had the effects of PTSD and she found it hard to trust, particularly men. The sound of a deep voice or an un-bonded Sentinel’s self-seeking need would send her into a PTSD attack. For some reason she rarely had a reaction to a father who was concerned about his child. The hope of her doctors was that the contact with male children of various ages and their fathers would help mitigate her attacks.

They were right to some extent. At first it took hours to bring her back into balance after an attack, but gradually, using the breathing exercises she was taught, it took less and less time to bring herself under control. Now the attacks were less frequent and unless you knew what to look for they no longer showed on the outside, but inside it was a different story, terror would invade her body. She would go to her room, immerse herself into her light, sound and scent therapy and slip into her safe place in her mind.

******  
Quake Day  
******

The day started out beautifully, sun shining with a light breeze coming off the ocean. Children and parents were out playing in the parks. lovers and elderly were walking hand and hand along the beach. It was late morning, a few minutes past ten when the earthquake hit. At first it was a slow rumble that quickly built to a strong shake and the sound of a freight train. The people in the buildings were relatively safe. All buildings had long since been required to be earthquake proof. The tall ones swayed side to side so the biggest problem was falling or being hit by unsecured debris.

A few minutes after the quake stopped a tsunami warning was issued. A message went out for all citizens to get to high ground or into buildings with more than four floors. Streets were impassable with cars that had rolled into the streets or roads that had been split open leaving deep crevasses in the quakes wake. A call was put out to the Admiral of Space Corps for permission to beam people aboard ships who could not get to shelter before the tsunami hit.

Winifred rode out the quake at the Guide Hospital and then made her way to the joining mundane hospital emergency room only to find an evacuation order was issued. The hospital was seven stories high so everyone had to be moved up to the top three floors. The director of the hospital knew it was an impossible task in the time allotted so he called Space Corps to request beam outs, but just in case the staff worked on getting patients to the higher floors.

Ten precious minutes passed when Winifred got word she was one of the staff that would be going to The Venture.

She was beamed to a cargo bay that had been set up as a triage room. The first patients were from the emergency room with various injuries, RN’s worked to find the most injured and send them to sick bay. Winifred did what she did best walking around the group giving comfort and reassurance that they were safe. As the day wore on more people in pain were waiting for treatment. Winifred did what she could to relieve their pain, one after the other, the line never stopped.

There were rules that Healers were required to follow. Rules that were made for the Healers well being. Winifred ignored them. She couldn’t stop and walk away while there were still injured and frightened people waiting to see doctors.

The bonded Healers were forcefully taken away by their Sentinels when their Guides showed the first signs of exhaustion. Sentinels knew that a completely drained Healer could slip into a ‘healer’s coma’ that the Healer may not come out of. Winifred knew she was pushing herself too far, but she told herself she would most likely need a longer healing sleep and then she would be fine.

Finally the last patient was taken care of. One of the RN’s came over and put her arm around Winifred. “Thanks for staying. Your were great. We need a bathroom break and then we’re going to get something to eat. Come with us.”

“I’ll go with you to the restroom, but I just need to go home and get some sleep,” Winifred told the group.

“No one’s beaming down, there is a shelter in place order. Cascade was hit hard with the quake and the tsunami,” The head nurse said. “Weren’t you assigned quarters?”

Winifred yawned and looked like she was about to fall over. “No, I’m really tired, where can I sleep?”

“You can bunk with me,” the head nurse said, reaching out to steady Winifred. “Come with me, I’ll get you settled.” She turned to the other nurses, “I’ll meet you in the officers lounge, you go ahead.”

******  
One Week Later  
******

The shelter in place order had finally been rescinded. It was time to go home. Winifred Burkle gave Lieutenant Commander Susan Davis a hug. “Thanks for letting me stay with you. I don’t know what I would have done.”

“It’s been a pleasure. You’ve been the best bunk mate I’ve ever had. Maybe we’ll work together again sometime, although I hope it would be under better circumstances.”

“I’ve enjoyed working with you too, but I’m not a member of Space Corps so I don’t think we’ll have the chance of working together, but I sure would like it if you’d give me a call when the Venture is in port.”

“I just got word, I’m getting a promotion to Medical Commander and I’ll be transferred to to a new Galaxy Class Ship, Endeavor.”

“Wow, I’m so happy for you,” Winifred said giving her new friend a hug. “I guess I better get going. Promise me you’ll call when you’re in port.”

“I promise.”

*******  
You And Me A Time For Planting  
*******

Winifred walked to the transporter room and found there was a line of people waiting to leave. She considered going to the officer’s lounge to wait, but she really wanted to get home so she took a deep cleansing breath and told herself that the man in font of her in line didn’t know her or care about her, he wanted to get home too. She centered herself and walked up to stand in line behind the strange man.

Spike was standing in the transporter room line when he suddenly picked up a very appealing Guide scent. He turned to look at a very beautiful slim woman with long chestnut colored hair and dark whiskey colored eyes. “Guide,” he said with a warm smile.

Winifred froze, every muscle went stiff.

Spike picked up the sudden acrid scent of fear. “Guide, are you okay? What’s wrong.”

Winifred began to shiver. She watched as Spike’s expression changed from one of warm concern to one of deep worry.

Spike reached out to steady the shivering woman. Winifred stepped back and Spike immediately let his hand drop. “Guide, what do you need?” He asked.

The question surprised Winifred, no sentinel ever before asked her what she needed. She looked at Spike. He was watching her closely, he genuinely wanted to help her. He was a Sentinel that wanted to give not take. She pulled herself together and spoke in a shaky voice. “I’m okay, Sentinel. I apologize for giving you a false impression.”

“That wasn’t a false impression, Guide. You were in distress, I could see it and smell it.”

Winifred looked down at the floor. She didn’t answer, there was nothing to say.

“May I see your ID. please, Guide?”

Winifred’s head snapped up as another wave of fear washed over her. When she looked into the Sentinel’s eyes she expected to see the lust filled need she saw from the Sentinel’s that came into the clinic for a healing bond. But the look she saw in his eyes was one of warmth and caring. She removed her ID from the lanyard she wore, “I’m red lined,” she whispered as she handed the card to Spike careful to make sure their fingers didn’t touch .

Spike took the card and after looking at it he took out his personal communicator and scanned Winifred’s ID. He spoke into his device. “Request three day interval to seek consent to bond.”

An automated voice answered. “Granted to Sentinel William Pratt, three day interval to seek consent to bond with Healer Guide Winifred Burkle.”

“Why did you do that? I’m”

“Guide,” Spike interrupted, “We have three days to discuss this in a more private area. It’s our turn at the transporter. I’ll take you home and you and I can register ourselves on courting leave.”

******  
I'll Be There To Let The Sun In  
******  
Winifred had had a difficult night. Her mind churned with attempting to analyze why the Sentinel was seeking her consent to bond with him. It didn’t make sense to her, she was red lined. The small voice in her head whispered to her that this Sentinel was different. He wanted a partner, not a slave like her abductors had taught her a Guide should be. She shivered and went to the computer to see what her legal rights were. If the Sentinel abused her in any way, including using threatening language or attempting to touch her without her consent, she could apply for a removal of the Seek Order. Somehow she knew that Sentinel William Pratt was not going to abuse her. It was not something she had learned about him it was something she knew without learning. She just knew. So she turned on her therapy trio of light, sound, and scent and went to sleep.

*****  
Spike said he would meet Winifred at ten o’clock in the lobby of the Guide School Residence where she lived. Fred decided to go down to the Lobby a few minutes early because she didn't want him to come knocking at her door. When she got to the lobby she found Sentinel Pratt waiting for her.

Spike smiled, genuinely happy to see her. “Good morning Guide.”

“Good Morning Sentinel,” Fred answered. Her voice was pleasant but her face held no smile.

“I thought we could take a walk around the gardens and get to know each other, unless you would like to do something else,” Spike said as he held the door open for her.

Fred nodded. “I’d welcome a walk in the garden,” she said as she stepped past Spike and out the door.

They walked in silence for awhile. Fred let her empathic sense expand to absorb the emotions that Spike was broadcasting.

She felt no lust coming from him. That was a surprise to her. Every un-bonded Sentinel she had met in the past wanted to possess her, even devour her so that there was none of her left, only the Guide that was a part of the Sentinel, an extension of the Sentinel self that obeyed the same way his hands obeyed. Instead this Sentinel wanted a partnership, one that she had no confidence she would be able to give him.

“You have some beautiful old trees here,” Spike said interrupting her thoughts. “It’s good that the Guide School builder was able to save them.”

Fred decided to be herself, there was no use trying to hide the part of her that was different. She might as well show herself as she really was, if the Sentinel got scared off, and she thought there was a good chance he would be, than so be it. “Yes, trees are spiritual beings. It would have been a shame to cut them down.”

“Hmmm, spiritual beings, maybe that’s why I always felt a sense of peace when I’m among trees.”

“My favorite ones to look at are the Japanese Maples, they’re the red trees over there,” Fred said pointing off to the left. “When I first started coming outside after the abduction I used to hug that old oak over there. Oak trees are very giving,” she said pointing to the right side of the path.

“You can feel their gift,” Spike said. He wasn’t surprised. He knew that some Guides saw animal spirit guides so why not feel living things. Part of his Sentinel training was about Guides and how they thought differently than Sentinels. One of the lessons stressed was that Guides weren’t wrong in their thinking they were just Guides and there was wisdom in their thinking that Sentinels ignored at their own risk. “That’s very special, Winifred, not all Guides can do that.”

“Please call me Fred, Winifred is just too bulky to say all the time and I never liked being called Wini, It sounds like the sound a horse makes.”

Spike tilted his head to the side and looked at Fred evaluating her emotional state of mind. He wondered if she was beginning to warm up to him, or was she just trying to avoid a conversation that she could feel the spiritual vibrations of trees. Maybe she thought that it would scare him off. Well that wasn’t going to happen. It was true that he needed her, but he had a deep unshakable feeling that she needed him too. “You can call me Spike,” he told her.

For the first time Fred smiled a little, or perhaps it was a stifled chuckle at such a epithet. “Spike? How did you get that name?”

“It’s a childhood nickname that stuck,” He told her not wanting to go into the less than happy details. This is a pretty spot I didn’t know you had a view of the ocean up here. Would you like to sit and talk for a bit?”

Fred nodded and took a seat on the bench. She could tell from Spike’s voice that there was a story behind his childhood nickname, one that he did not want to talk about. She considered confronting him about it, but there was something more important she wanted to know. As she sat down she was not thinking at all that she would be sharing a bench with a Sentinel. For a few moments she seemed to be taking in the view as she tried to decide how best to approach what she most wanted to talk about.

Spike didn’t want to push Fred. He knew she had been through the fires of hell with the abduction so the best thing to do was to give her the time he could sense she needed. He sat on the far end of the bench giving her as much space for herself as he could.

Fred took a deep breath she had decided the best thing to do is to confront the problem head on and ask the question she really wanted an answer to. “Why do you want a red lined Guide?”

“I don’t want a red lined Guide, I want you. I feel a pull to you, you’re a healer that cares about people. I want you because your a good person. I can feel it. I want you because I need you and I think you need me to.”

“I have PTSD, I don’t even know if I can bond. The thought of trying... “ Her voice dropped to a whisper, “What they did to me…”

“No one gets through life unscathed, some more than others. I know that for you, being abducted, it was about as bad as it gets. I also know that you’re strong, you fought to get well. I know that you put others before yourself.” Spike stopped for a moment. He longed to hold Fred’s hand as he talked, but he knew instinctively that it would make her uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s not what happens to us that’s important, it’s how we deal with it and do our best to raise above it. Both of us have been doing that and now we have the ability to continue to rise above. I know I don’t have as many scars as you do, but you should know scars don’t scare me. I know you want to bond, I can feel it.”

Fred looked down at the ground and whispered. “It’s true I do feel a pull to you. But what I want to do and what I can do are two different things. The abductors, they were training me to be a slave Guide. I won’t be anyone's slave. I made a decision that I would shut down and die first.”

“Fred, look at me.” Spike said in a soft and comforting voice.

Fred raised her head and looked into a pair of impossibly blue eyes, eyes that held a deep concern for her. Eyes that were in pain, not for themselves but for her. Spike hurt because she was hurting.

“I don’t want a slave Guide,” Spike told her. “I want a partner… I need a partner.”

“Do you know why I’m able to sit here with you, talk with you? I can’t do this with other un-bonded Sentinel’s.”

“I know I’m different, I always have been.”

“It’s the way you look at me. The way the abductors looked at me, it was as if I wasn’t human. As for un-bonded Sentinels, they would look at me as someone to be used. There was never anything personal. I was a nameless Guide that could slake their needs, nothing more. You’re not like that. You see me, not just a generic Guide, but me, and that’s what scares me. I can see your concern for me and I worry what it will do to you if I fail in an attempt to bond. Logic is no match for… Logic doesn’t stop the PTSD attacks”

“I can’t believe we’d fail, and I do mean we. It takes two to bond, it’s not all on you. I have a biological imperative to find a compatible guide, to bond and keep the bond healthy. That means I need to meet my Guide’s needs. I was told in Sentinel training that once a Guide bonds they have a biological imperative to keep their Sentinel stable. I have no doubt we can do that. For me the real failure would be for me not to convince you to take a chance on me.”

“Me take a chance on you… You wouldn’t be a chance. I’m an empath, I can see what you are. If we do this you’ll be totally committed and your tenacious. If our first attempt failed you’ll try again and again and again. You wouldn’t give up...ever.

Spike didn’t have a response for that. He knew what she said was true. His mother had called it stubbornness, not a desirable trait. But Fred had called it tenacity and made it sound not only acceptable but a worthwhile trait.

They sat together quietly for a while looking out at the ocean. The water was quiet and off in the far distance there was the pencil thin dark blue line where the cloudless sky met the sea. There were no families enjoying a day on the water, no colorful sails dotting the view, no fishing charters catering to vacationers, no dolphins frolicking in the waves, no seals resting on the beach.

“It’s empty,” Fred whispered as a powerful epiphany washed over her.

Spike tilted his head to the side and listened closely. He had a intense feeling that something important was happening.

“That’s what my life will be like if I say no to you, empty. I don’t know why I feel this pull to you. If you want me I’ll agree to attempt a bond. I can’t make any promises, other than I will do my best.”

Spike smiled and kissed her hand. “I can make a promises that I will do everything I can to meet your needs.”

******  
Two Wildflowers That Grow

******

Spike stood at the stove and hummed as bacon sizzled and scrambled eggs cooked for breakfast. An old style pop up toaster binged and four slices of toast rose from it innards. Fred lifted them out and began buttering the warm, golden brown squares

It had been a good night as far as Spike was concerned. Sentinel and Guide had slept in the same bed together. He was willing to spend the night on the couch if need be, but it was Fred that that it had to happen sooner than later and putting it off would make it all the harder to make a change. So Spike held his Guide and purred until she fell asleep. All he did was hold her and reassure her that she was safe and secure in her Sentinels arms, yet is was the best night of his life.

“I didn’t know you liked to cook,” Fred said.

“It’s a hobby. I don’t get to practice it very often, but sometimes I just get tired of replicated food.”

“My mom used to cook, not meat, but we had a little vegetable and herb garden at home. She used to make stir fries over rice and the most delicious spaghetti sauce.”

“I’m glad you told me,” Spike said as he placed two plates of bacon and eggs on the table and sat down to eat. “I was planning on making a marinara sauce tomorrow but I’ll have to think of something else. I don’t want to compete with your mom’s.”

“No, please,” Fred said with a big smile and placed the plate of toast on the table. “I haven’t had homemade sauce for so long. It used to be my favorite. If you can make scrambled eggs taste this good your spaghetti sauce must be five star. I’ll help with the prep and maybe I can make garlic bread?”

“Sounds like a plan, love,” Spike said not thinking that it may be a bit too early to use a term of endearment.

The smile left Fred’s face and she looked into Spike’s eyes.

Spike sighed. “I’m sorry Fred, I didn’t mean to push. It just slipped out. We’re on your time table. I promised that I’d meet your needs. If you need time I’ll give you time.”

“What about your needs? Aren’t they important too?”

“My biggest need right now is to take care of you. A Sentinel that can’t meet his Guides needs isn’t worthy of a Guide.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Fred said with a bit of annoyance in her voice. “If you want to know what I need, I need you to be honest with me. Stop treating me like I’m breakable. The day we took a walk through the gardens you said I was strong, but I know you are weighing and calculating everything you say to me. It makes me nervous. If you believe I’m strong prove it and treat me that way. If I fall apart it’s on me not on you. What I need to know is if I can trust you to handle it if I do fall apart and more importantly, do you trust yourself to handle it.”

“First of all I wouldn’t characterize a PTSD incident as falling apart. I think of it as something we would cope with together and I wouldn’t abandon you for it. To answer your question directly, Yes, I do love you. Last night was the best night of my life. I know all I did was hold you and purr to you, but it felt like I was where I was meant to be. You’re my Guide, I’ve felt that way since I picked up your scent.”

“Thank you, I can feel your being honest so I’ll be honest too. I don’t know if I can express what last night meant to me. Until last night I felt I would never be able to have a normal relationship with a man. I had never felt a pull to a Sentinel before I met you. I felt protected last night. I can’t remember ever feeling that way before. I want that feeling. I’m tired of being afraid. I’m not sure if what I feel for you is love, but I do know I don’t want to let it go and I’m pretty sure that if we continue on with this relationship I will be able to say I love you.”

Spike stepped forward and ran his finger through Fred’s hair. His eyes were soft and asking her to understand and not turn him way. “I need you.”

Fred smiled and placed her hand of Spike’s face. “I don’t know how you do that, tell me you need me and make me want to be with you instead of running away.” Fred tilted her neck and offered her guide gland to Spike.

Spike leaned forward and licked at her neck. It was a gentle, soft, warm, and wet. Fred leaned into it. She moved her hand to the back of Spike’s head and curled her fingers into his hair encouraging him for more. She moaned softly as the licking changed to suckling. Spike stopped and took Fred into his arms. He looked her in the eyes and let his face ask, is it okay?

Fred leaned her head back on Spike’s shoulder and whispered, “Sentinel, claim your Guide.”

Spike carried Fred into the bedroom. The claiming was slow and gentle. Every touch, every kiss was warm and sweet. Each time Fred looked into Spike’s eyes she saw his desire for her, but it was a desire strongly tempered by love. When Spike entered her, Fred tilted her head to offer her neck. Spike suckled until climax was imminent and then he bit down, not enough to break the skin, but enough to eternally mark his Guide as claimed.

“Yours forever,” Fred moaned as her orgasm washed over her.

“Mine forever,” Spike answered.

Afterward the couple laid together, Fred cuddled into her Sentinel’s arms, feeling safe and secure. Spike purred.

>>>>>Comments are appreciated, they feed my muse, Thank you.

TBC


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